Radio program announcer



Jan. 18, 1938.

H. o. N. EVANS, JR 2,105,527 RADIO PROGRAM ANNOUNCER Filed March 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I a m 92 .Zgg. 2.

Lure iqflature, Siqnature Harry OflZEvanspfr:

ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1938.

H. o. N. EVANS, JR 2,105,527

RADIO PROGRAM ANNOUNCER Filed March 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harry QflQZvan s, :77:

M W Q.

ATTO R N EY Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNETED STTES ATE? GFICE Application March 5,

1 Claim.

The invention relates to an announcer and more especially to an automatic radio program announcer or indicator.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the daily published radio programs by newspapers can be attached to a rotating drum so that progressively the said programs can be displayed and this drum is driven by an electric clock mechanism so that the program throughout a given period of time will enable a person to be cognizant at different intervals of the period of time of the broadcasting by radio from selected stations and in this fashion permitting the reception of any particular broadcast.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein a printed program as taken from a daily newspaper will be displayed on a rotating drum and such printed matter will be intensified or made clear by a magnifying glass or panel as fitted in the device so that easy selection may be had for the reception of a particular broadcast by radio from a given station and the rendering of such program had with dispatch and ease.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the printed radio program taken from a daily newspaper when within the machine will be caused to travel for the constant display of such program synchronously with the time of the day and for the successive exhibiting of the program indicia in periods of fifteen minutes in accordance with those periods of broadcast by a variety of broadcasting stations, the device being automatic in the working thereof and can be a part of a radio receiving set or independently thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein the printed published program of a daily newspaper when within said device can be illuminated to distinguish the indicia thereon and this indicia is rendered clear and magnified by a magnifying Window or glass so that a person can discern 45 a particular part of the program as broadcast by a sending radio station for the tuning of the radio set for its reception and such daily published programs can be readily and conveniently placed within the device from day to day so that the current program will be handy for the reading thereof and convenient for service.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is comparatively simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in operation, neat 1936, Serial No. 67,368

in appearance if separate from a radio receiving set, automatic in the working thereof, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View partly in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical detailed sectional view taken longitudinally through the device and showing the cylinder or drum for the radio program released from the electric clock mechanism.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates generally a casing which may be that of a radio receiving set or machine or independent thereof, in this instance the latter case, and com.. prises a bottom l0, front ll, ends l2, back I3 and a hinged cover or top 14, respectively. Arranged interiorly of the casing A near one end thereof and carried by its bottom I0 is a frame l5 of an electric type motor driven clock mechanism l5 and journaled in this frame is an arbor ll of a rotatable drum or cylinder I 8, the said arbor being also journaled in one end l2 of the casing A. The journaled end i9 of the arbor ll fitting the frame l5 has fixed thereto a gear 20 releasably meshing with a pinion 2| constituting the driver of the clock mechanism 16 so that on operation of this mechanism the drum or cylinder l8 will be rotated thereby.

The arbor H as journaled is susceptible of longitudinal displacement to move the gear 20 into and out of mesh with the pinion 2|, the meshing of the gear 20 with the pinion 2| is had through the use of a coiled tensioning spring 22 about the arbor l1 and working against the drum or cylinder l8 while such arbor can be shifted by a hand knob 23 against the resistance of the spring 22 to bring the gear 20 out of mesh with the pinion 2i, the gear 20 and the pinion 2| being the clutch connection between the clock mechanism l6 and the arbor H.

Carried externally on the drum or cylinder I8 is a pair of spring clips 24 for the detachable fastening of a program strip 25 trained about the said drum or cylinder and this strip is preferably a printed radio program published by a daily newspaper having broadcasting indicia of several or a group of radio broadcasting stations submitted with a scale indicative of the time of day and periods of fifteen minutes, the indicia announcing broadcasting from the stations being indicated at 26 while the time scale is indicated at 21. This scale 2'! appears at the left marginal column and printed in figures giving the time of the day in intervals of fifteen minutes each throughout a consecutive twenty-four hour period if desired.

Formed in the front I l of the casing A is a horizontally disposed elongated window 28 having a magnifying glass 29 for the reading of the program strip 25 detachably fitted about the drum or cylinder i8 while formed in the facing piece for the window 28 and above the latter is a suitable slot covered by a name plate 3!! which is of transparent material and bears markings identifying a determined group of radio broadcasting stations so that selectively a special program may be discerned at a particular period of time on a reading of the indicia upon the strip 25 on or carried by the drum or cylinder l8, the magnifying glass 29 being for the purpose of rendering clear the indicia upon said strip 25 as such indicia will be magnified by such glass.

When it is desired to change the strip 25 or place a new strip on the drum or cylinder [8 it is convenient to unclutch the arbor I? from the clock mechanism it and this is effected by pulling outwardly upon the knob 23 which disengages the gear 25 from the pinion 2i whereupon the said drum or cylinder 18 can be turned manually and free from the clock mechanism to bring the clips 24 on this drum or cylinder in a position for the easy application of the strip 25 and the fastening thereof by said clips upon the drum or cylinder. It is not necessary to stop the electric clock mechanism when changing programs. The program drum may be revolved manually to observe programs at a later period other than those appearing in View plate by disengaging drum from clock mechanism by pulling out knob and turning. Interiorly of the casing A above the Window 28 is arranged an electric light bulb 3|, this being of an elongated showcase type or window display type and when lighted will illuminate the interior of the casing so as to render clearly visible the indicia upon the strip 25 for the easy reading of such indicia as magnified by the glass 29 from without the casing. The bulb 3| also illuminates the name plate 30 so as to make more visible the markings thereon for the easy reading of such plate.

The bulb 3| and the motor of the clock mechanism l5 are connected in an electric circuit 32 adapted for separable plugging in with a house current in the conventional manner.

The knob 23 is fitted on the arbor H and is located exteriorly of the casing A at one end thereof preferably at the right hand end of the said casing.

The progressive travel of the program strip 25 when carried by the drum or cylinder I8 synchronizes with a twenty-four hour period of time scaled in periods of fifteen minutes for radio broadcasting within the twenty-four hour range. The drum will accommodate twenty-four hours of programs but advertising may be used to fill up the remaining space if only eighteen to twenty hours of programs is desired.

Access is had interiorly of the casing A by opening the hinged top or lid 14 so that the program strip 25 can be removed from and attached to the drum or cylinder [8 in a convenient manner.

The clock mechanism l6 includes a starting button or knob 33 which is conventional to the electric type of clocks. A pair of scissors may be attached to this device by means of a small ribbon for conveniently clipping the uniform size programs from the newspapers. The programs may be located in the newspaper page so as to leave the page intact after the removal of the radio program.

Interiorly of the casing are shutters 34, these being manually controlled from the interior of said casing so that they may be moved downwardly into position for the purpose of adapting the device to programs having a varying number of stations listed. Each shutter 34 coacts with the name plate identifying a particular station.

What is claimed is:

A device of the character described comprising a casing having a lensed window at its front, a driving unit, supporting means interiorly of said casing at one end thereof, a driven gear associated with said supporting means and operated by the power unit, a driving shaft journaled interiorly of the casing and shiftable axially, a drum fixed to said shaft and having a gear meshing with the first-mentioned gear and disengageable on axial shifting of the shaft in one direction, spring means active upon the shaft for normally holding the gears intermeshed with each other, and a strip removably clipped about said drum and having broadcasting indicia visible through the lensed window.

HARRY O. N. EVANS, JR. 

